Journal of Advance Manufacturing System and Technology ISSN: 3107-8133 (Online)

Authors: Edwin Raja Dhas, J., Pradeep, P.

Abstract: Advanced fibrous polymeric composites are one of the most successful composite material systems due to its wide range of advantages such as high specific strength and stiffness, fatigue properties and corrosion resistance. The polymer matrix is more susceptible to these changes than the fiber and thus dominates the mechanical behavior of FRP composites. Polymers are characterized as visco-elastic materials that their mechanical properties are strain rate dependent. The present experimental study aims at learning the mechanical behaviour of alkali treated chopped palm leaf stalk natural fiber polymer composites. Samples of are manufactured using hand layup method and the weight fraction of matrix and fiber is kept at 30% to 70%.Specimens are cut from the fabricated laminate according to the ASTM standards for different experiments like tensile test, flexural test, impact test and hardness test. Experiments are performed in a computerized Universal testing machine, Charpy Impact tester and Hardness tester. Result shows that, the trend in all the properties increased for alkali treated chopped fibers except for hardness value.

Keywords: Composites, Palmyra, Alkali, Mechanical Properties, Visco-elastic materials